


Procedural

by leavemeyourstardust



Category: DCU (Comics), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/F, F/M, a Supergirl AU fic about a boy from daxam and a girl from krypton, a soft and slow burn, au where mon-el came to earth first and was adopted by henry, based on the tv show bones, fbi detective mon-el & scientist kara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2019-05-26 20:47:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15009140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leavemeyourstardust/pseuds/leavemeyourstardust
Summary: Mike Allen/Mon-El is a successful FBI Agent working with his foster brother the Flash to bring in metahumans for the FBI's special unit for paranormal activity known as the DEO. Mike's life turns upside down when an alien fortress crash lands on the outskirts of National City bringing with it the greatest threat mankind will ever face: Brainiac. Along with him, comes a brilliant Kryptonian forensic anthropologist Kara Zor-El who has her own score to settle with the Coluan. Kara and Mon-El join forces to "save the world" but can they put their prejudices aside and even see eye to eye?A Karamel Crime AU fic inspired by Bones & Krypton





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> My first multi-chaptered fic on here and I'm so excited. I came upon this idea while binge-watching bones on Netflix. Just a warning this will be a slow burn, with lots of twists and turns and banter. I hope it gives you some joy and heals your heart after what happened in the finale. This fic is unbetaed therefore I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes this chapter doesn't have Karamel. But, Barry & Mon-El's relationship is very important to this story. Plus, I wanted to give you some backstory and depth to easily wade you into this story. Some things to note:
> 
> \- Daxam is not a planet of hedonists, it was a trading planet ruled by outlaws after the government was overthrown following the war between Krypton and Daxam ( the Hundred Years War ). Think of Jakku from Star Wars that's basically what Daxam was.  
> \- Mon-El's parents abandoned him when he was a kid ( which will be elaborated upon in other chapters later on ), he grew up on the streets and he stole to survive ( hence the robin hood reference )  
> \- Barry's mother was murdered by Reverse Flash still, but it was set up to look like a murder. And sorry, but Reverse Flash does not play a role in this story.
> 
> Kudos & Comments are highly appreciated !

Why was it that when someone died, people thought it was a good idea to bring food?

Barry’s mother, Nora, had been brutally murdered by a burglar three weeks ago and since then they’d received at least a plethora of tuna noodle casseroles, several roast turkeys, and a menagerie of fruitcakes. It wasn’t even good food. 

Coupled with the food, came the countless apologies. What were they even sorry about? It wasn’t their fault. Maybe it was his. 

He’d caught a later bus from the city because he’d stopped to have ice cream with Caitlin Snow, the pretty girl at school he’d had a crush on. Maybe if he’d gotten home earlier he’d be able to stop it. Maybe if he’d not missed his first bus, he’d have a few more moments with her. Or maybe he could have called for help. There were a thousand and one different scenarios

That’s all he had now though: maybes. And a bunch of gross tuna noodle casseroles, dry turkey, and awful fruitcake.

His father, Henry, was putting on a brave face. He courteously answered every annoying sympathizer that came to the door, furiously made funeral plans, all while holding down his job at National City General. Henry had taken two days off before going back. Barry understood, he was saving someone else’s “Nora” maybe to make himself feel better. During the nights and evenings, father and son barely exchanged any words miserably poking at whatever Henry scrounged out of the fridge after work.

At school, the other kids avoided Barry. He’d gone back a week ago, and the kids that teased him mercilessly now treated him as he was made of glass. His friends did him favours he didn’t even ask for. All Barry craved was normalcy. Someone to look at him and see him as just a kid. Not a kid with a dead mom. 

Currently, Henry was pulling a late night at the hospital. His babysitter Mrs. Applebottom was snoring on the couch while Barry pulled yet another disgusting tuna noodle casserole out of the fridge and warmed it up. A heavy sigh left him as he realized he still had his geometry homework to do. The last thing he needed was another look of sympathy from Mrs. Ripley, his math teacher.

He was poking at his casserole when the lights went out and a loud clang was heard from their backyard. The Allens lived in the outskirts, on the open country road between National City and Central City. There was no one around for miles. 

The hairs on the back of Barry’s neck were already standing on end as his eyes fell on Mrs. Applebottom. She was still asleep, completely useless.

He was still on edge after having found his mother’s lifeless body mere weeks ago. What if the burglar came back? And it was now him next. He reached for the cordless phone, only to hear there was no dial tone. His heart was hammering against his ribcage, he wanted to wake Mrs. Applebottom but didn’t want her to see him in his current state. Besides, what could she do? She was just an old lady. He didn’t want anyone else getting hurt because of him. Standing up, Barry grabbed his denim jacket, a baseball bat, and a flashlight. He had no choice but to investigate the source of the disturbance himself. Gulping, he opened the door to his backyard and left the house.

For a moment there, he thought this was a dream he was having. He’d had dreams like this when he’d binge watch Star Wars. Except, this was far too visceral to be a dream. When Barry exited his home, he saw a sight that might as well have been cut and pasted from a sci-fi movie. A metallic pod had crashed in the field just outside the fence that rounded off the yard. Smoke was billowing out from it concealing whatever was behind the nose of the pod. There was a sharp machine-like smell in the air and if Barry had to guess, he’d suppose it was jet fuel. He was in a rock and a hard place. The smarter side of him was telling him to go inside lock the doors and try to shake Mrs. Applebottom awake. But, the more adventurous part of him, crawled through the crack in the fence to examine the wreckage more closely.

Everyone had heard the story of Superman, an alien who had crash-landed to earth thirty odd years ago and was now a superhero. He couldn’t help but wonder if this pod had something to do with the hero. Although he had to be careful, Superman wasn’t the only thing that had arrived on Earth in a pod, the sinister General Zod had come just five years ago. He’d nearly conquered Earth too. 

As Barry approached, he heard the sound of shuffling. On instinct, his grip on the baseball bat tightened as he stepped into the smoke his arm tucked over his face to quell the sound of his coughs. 

There stood a dark-haired boy about the same age as him. He was taller with dark russet brown colored hair and striking grey eyes. He was studying the wreckage with what seemed like laser focus. Finally, his concentration broke and he gave the back of his pod a swift kick. Barry watched in shock as the metal gave a whine and dented considerably. So he was strong like Superman. The alien turned his attention on Barry, raising an eyebrow at him.

_“ Rrahn nim bah? Rrehd zheghv voiehd? “_

The words were foreign, unlike any language Barry had ever heard. Almost dumbly, he replied.

“ Um, English? “

Surprisingly the alien perked up and nodded bounding closer to Barry who took a step back afraid.

“ Don’t mean to frighten, little boy. My English is not the best. Where am I? “ said the alien tersely.

“ Little boy? You're the same age as me! And you’re on Earth, obviously. “ Barry cried affronted.

“ Earth, just my luck. I come to a primitive planet. Age is only a number, Little Boy. You are as wise as you feel “ 

It was now Barry’s turn to quirk an eyebrow at the stranger. The garb he wore reminded him of a Starfleet uniform, except it was far more dirty and frayed. There was a glyph in the middle of his chest like a pentagon but it was bare. Barry noticed there was a pocket knife tucked into the waistband of his pants. He reminded himself that he didn’t know if the kid before him was friend or foe yet.

“ Anyways…” the alien continued, “ I need to get to your nearest shipyard to fix my pod and return home. “

“ We don’t have shipyards for Space Pods. Where is home for you? Are you from Krypton? “ Barry asked.

The alien made a face. “ Of course, you don’t! Do your people still live in caves? Krypton? Do I look like a self-righteous snob to you? No, I’m from Daxam a neighboring planet, we once belonged to the Kryptonian Union but after the Hundred Years War, we managed to gain our independence. Now, we have one of the best trading systems in the galaxy. “

“ Don’t be ridiculous, that was millennia ago. “ Barry paused wondering how to break the bad news. The kid was definitely somewhat of a snob, but no one deserved unkindness after such a great loss. “ Erm, well you do know...that Krypton….it was destroyed. The core became unstable and it exploded. That’s why Superman came to Earth. “ Barry explained, he’d obtained that kernel of knowledge when he visited the Superman museum in Metropolis last summer. 

It was obvious that this struck a chord with the other boy as he leaned against the pod, and looked up at the starless sky. “ That explains it, “ he said softly his shoulders visibly drooping. “ I was hoping it was a dream. The last thing I remember I was running and there was debris raining down all around me...Daxam must have been affected because of our proximity. “ Mon-El lurched forward from his position, “ Little boy! How long ago was Krypton destroyed? Did any of my people find their way to your planet? “

Barry scratched his head trying to remember the details, “ Thirty-some years, Superman was just a baby when he arrived and now he’s an adult. And I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of any Daxamian? Refugees. “

“ Daxamite “ 

“ Daxamite refugees. “ Barry repeated.

It seemed the more information Barry imparted, the more the alien seemed to feel disheartened. By the looks of him, he was scrappy, maybe he was even used to taking care of himself. He thought he had it bad after losing his mother, but the boy before him might have lost everything. It put things in perspective for the twelve-year-old. Considering he’d had ample time to attack Barry and didn’t, Barry dropped the bat and stepped closer to where the other was standing. 

“ Are you hungry? “ Barry asked softly, there were tears in the other boy’s eyes that he quickly wiped away sniffling. 

“ Starving, according to my pod’s trajectory system I was trapped in the well of stars where time doesn’t move. So I technically haven’t eaten in decades “ he wiped away his tears. “ There’s a lot of dust on this planet “

“ Sure there is, I can make you a sandwich and when my father gets home we can figure out what to do. Maybe, he can help you get in touch with Superman. “

The alien nodded in agreement, “ I hate interacting with Kryptonians, but perhaps this “Superman” is my only hope. What do I owe you? “ he asked reaching into the pocket of his garment and pulling out a little pouch that jingled with some currency. 

“ Oh, nothing! I’m happy to help. “ Barry said holding out his hand in protest, “ Just don’t call me, little boy anymore. My name’s Barry. “

“ Barry it is. I’m Lar Gand the Second, but my friends call me Mon-El. “ 

“ Why Mon-El? “ Barry asked as he began walking towards the house. 

“ An inside joke, “ Mon-El explained with a chuckle, “ On my world, Mon-El was a hero, he used to steal from the rich and give to the poor. “

“ So you’re alien Robin hood? “ Barry said with a teasing smile. It occurred to him that this was the first time he’d smiled since his mother had died. Mon-El was bemused once again, rubbing the back of his neck.

“ Who’s Robin Hood? “


	2. The A Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mon-El, Barry, and Winn ready themselves to investigate the disturbance, they're joined by a mutual annoyance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another kind of introductory chapter, there's a lot of scientific jargon in this chapter and I apologize but I am no scientist. Doing my best though if something doesn't seem plausible please let me know. Sorry for the wait with this chapter, work got the best of me. I promise I'll be better from now on. Also, I know I said you could expect Kara in this chapter but you'll just have to wait a tad bit longer for her. The wait will be worth it though I promise.
> 
> As usual, this is unbetaed so I apologize for any spelling and grammatical errors. Comments & Kudos are always appreciated !

The Bismark Hotel at the heart of National City was notorious for holding a plethora of different events. Whether that be birthdays, or anniversaries, or in this case: an engagement party. 

Barry Allen and Caitlin Snow stood at the center of the room, practically radiating happiness. The ring on her finger was modest but the huge beaming smiles on their faces told a completely different story. Today, was their day.

Mon-el remembered how Barry practically rehearsed the proposal several times in the middle of his studio apartment, asking Mon-el to play the part of “Caitlin”. He hadn’t understood why it was obvious Caitlin was going to say yes. The two of them had been through so much. Caitlin losing her once fiance Ronnie Raymond in the particle accelerator accident. Barry similarly had been struck by lightning generated by said particle accelerator only to wake up from his coma six months later with astonishing powers of speed and to find that his crush Iris had married her father’s partner Eddie Thawne. In the last two years, they’d stood together and mended each other’s hearts. Barry and Caitlin were the reason Mon-el believed in love. 

“ They’re a beautiful couple, huh? “ Mon-el was startled as he looked over at the petite blonde standing next to him. He was standing at the back of the room, not wanting to attract any attention. Being invisible was a skill he’d had since childhood. Although, it seemed that the keen eyes of Miss Eve Teschmacher had sought him out regardless. 

“ Yeah, I’m happy for them. “ Mon-el replied benignly, taking a sip from the champagne flute in his hand. 

“ Happiness is contagious, you know. Are you seeing anyone, Mike? “ Eve asked pausing after she pronounced his Earth name. In response, Mon-el nearly choked on the champagne he was sipping like the oaf he felt he was. Eve quickly rushed to get a napkin and patted his shoulder to soothe him.

“ Are you okay? “ she asked worriedly.

“ Y-Yeah fine, champagne went down the wrong tube “ he fiddled with his tie, as Eve let out a girlish giggle. 

“ So, are you? “ she pressed once she knew he was okay.

“ What? “ Mon-El asked confounded.

“ You seeing anyone ? “ he could tell she was getting aggravated by the lines of consternation on her forehead. At work, he kept things professional but they weren’t at work at the moment. So, he couldn’t exactly dodge the question.

“ No “ he replied quickly, “ I haven’t got the time, I’m always on assignment “

“ Oh nonsense, you could take a break now and again. Are you free maybe next Friday? We could get drinks, maybe a nightcap afterward? “ Eve asked as she fidgeted with her fingers.

“ Eve, you’re really...nice. But I’m just not sure if we should date, I mean we work together...it’s probably not a good idea for us to date “ Mon-El stated perhaps a little coldly. Eve looked dejected as the eager smile she wore on her face quickly slid off. 

“ Right...it was stupid of me to ask, “ she said more to herself than him. Mon-El opened his mouth to offer some solace but he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“ Hey Eve? “

Eve perked up a bit when Barry approached her. 

“ That was a beautiful speech, Barry. Caitlin’s a lucky girl “

“ Thanks! I would say I’m luckier than she is though, considering she makes my whole world easier. Speaking of...Caitlin actually sent me over here to see if you’d maybe want to help her figure out where to put the engagement gifts. Apparently, they’re an eyesore sitting out in the open like that “

“Ooh! I know just where to put them, worry not “ with that Eve tittered off to go help Caitlin not even a single glance was spared at the two men. 

“ How long were you watching? “ Mon-El asked Barry when Eve was out of earshot. 

“ Oh, I was tuned in as soon as I saw her sliding over to you during my speech. I gotta say I’ve seen car wrecks that were less disastrous. C’mon, Robin Hood. Let’s go outside and get some air “ Barry put his hands on Mon-El’s shoulders practically steering him outside into the balcony so they could have some privacy. 

Mon-El was glad to be out of the ballroom, even though it was spacious, the walls felt like they were closing in on him. There was a huge sense of relief as he took in the night sky littered with stars and breathed in the air that was perfumed with the brine of the sea. He looked to his foster brother, immediately feeling a sense of calm pass over him. There were few people that knew that he was not human, but Daxamite. Barry had been by his side from the very beginning and he now knew all of Mon-El’s secrets. There were times where Mon-El was sure Barry could read his mind. And it was times like these, he really wished he didn’t.

“ Are you going to come out with it? Or am I going to have to coax it out of you? “ teased Barry drumming his fingers on the stone ledge of the balcony.

Mon-El sighed, “ Don’t bother yourself with me go be with Caitlin. It’s the same old story, the poor alien that feels out of place at human gatherings. I still don’t understand why Caitlin is wearing the ring? Why not you as well? Or are people not supposed to know you’re engaged as well? “

“ I get to be with Caitlin for the rest of my life. Right now, it’s brother time. And I feel uncomfortable at these stuffy parties too, the only reason I’m in this penguin suit is to impress Caitlin’s mom “ Barry replied in a lighthearted tone. He turned and put his elbows on the ledge giving Mon-El a concerned look his voice coming down a bit so others wouldn’t hear him, “ detract all you want Mon-El but it isn’t just the whole alien thing that’s bothering you, so be honest with me here. Why reject Eve like that? You know, she’s been crushing on you for a few months. Would a date have hurt? “

Mon-El looked up at the sky trying to find the words to illustrate his feelings. He had never been good at articulating them, although both Barry and Henry had challenged him to be far more emotive than he ever had been growing up. He lowered his voice so that his rant was for Barry only, “ I look at you and Caitlin, and it makes me wonder if I’ll ever have what you have. I tried dating Barry, remember when I accidentally broke two of Megan Forrester’s toes when I stepped on them at the Spring Fling dance. Or when I fell through the second floor of our dorm room when me and Holly started dating. Bruce even had to erase her memory! I can’t even hug someone without fear of crushing their ribs.“ 

Barry’s expression softened considerably, as he put a hand on Mon-El’s shoulder, “ I know it sounds hokey, but there’s someone out there for everyone. Even you. Clark and Lois have figured it out. “

“ It’s not the same for Clark, he grew up here. He’s never even really felt what...touch feels like. “ Mon-El turned to Barry and hugged him tightly careful not to injure him. “ You feel that right? “ Barry nodded, returning the hug before Mon-El pulled away with a sigh. “ Well, I didn’t feel anything, at all. “

There was a sadness in Barry’s features as he searched for the right words. Mon-El knew he was at a loss, as close as he and Barry were they weren’t really related. Barry couldn’t empathize with how Mon-El felt, because he didn’t know what it felt like. That divide had always been there, but as they grew older the wider it became. Before Barry could speak again, the brothers heard the sound of a whoosh in the air, and a loud crash in the distance. The horizon lit up with the dance of flames as black smoke congealed over the calm night sky. All the lights in the city went out at once leaving just a sea of darkness. 

“ Go, I’ll handle things here and meet you there “ Mon-El assured him, Barry nodded tapping the ring on his finger and instantly transformed into the Flash, the city’s superhero. He didn’t waste another moment as he began running towards the source of the explosion a streak of gold and red following him.

Mon-El stalked back towards the ballroom, panic was all around him. The sound of whispers scurried across the room, it seemed even cell phones were not working. Caitlin was at the front with Eve and Henry trying to quell panic unsuccessfully. She managed to catch his eye and gave him a nod. Mon-El knew what he had to do, he picked up a glass from the round white tables and gently chinked the glass with a spoon.

“ Everyone, can I have your attention please? “ he said in a loud booming voice, almost a hundred pairs of eyes jutted towards him quickly. “ My name is Michael Allen I’m the groom-to-be’s brother, but more importantly I’m with the FBI. “ he took out his badge the gold of the official seal glinting because of the moonlight. “ A few moments ago, something foreign entered the atmosphere. We don’t know what it is yet, but the Flash is on his way there and we have the situation contained. “ 

\--

“ We don’t have the situation contained, do we? “

“ Mr. Schott, we don’t even know what the situation is “ Mon-El replied acridly as he and the brilliant engineer sped through the back roads towards the coordinates Barry had managed to dispatch to through the long-range radio device in his suit. Mon-El had been asked to pick Winn up on his way to the crash site because they needed his help. 

“ You can call me Winn, you know. Mr. Schott is my dad and he’s just a few clicks below being a full on Bond Villain. Also technically it’s Dr. Schott I’ve got a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and another one in paranormal science “ Winn corrected him, “ Anyways, I’m honored to be a part of Team Flash, I can’t believe I was given this amazing opportunity. “

“ We’re lucky to have you on the team. Cisco’s only been talking our ear off about you for the last few days. And we’re not Team Flash, we’re the DEO, a branch of the FBI. We just work alongside the Flash on occasion “ Mon-El said casting Winn a good-natured smile as he rounded off a corner and fell onto a country road which seemed to be empty except for a few signs that indicated to the general public that these roads were off limits.

“ This reminds me of that scene in ET where the dudes go searching for the alien in the forest with the dogs, “ Winn said shaking his head, “ gives me the willies, have you ever come across aliens before? “

Mon-El smiled to himself. “ Besides Superman? No. We’ve only dealt with metahumans for the past two years since the department opened a branch here. “

“ Wait! “ Winn said loudly, Mon-El screeched on the brakes. “ Why’d you stop? “ Winn asked, looking from one corner of the darkened road to the other searching for signs of disturbance.

“ You said to wait, “ Mon-El said exasperated, “ I thought you saw something on the road “

“ Oh no! No, no I was excited for Superman. I’m a huge fan. What’s he like in person? “ Winn asked sheepishly, as Mon-El revved up the engine again slightly annoyed.

“ A lot more down to earth than I thought he’d be. “ 

Winn let out a sigh like a lovesick teenager

“ A god among men, “ he said dreamily.

“ No one should be a god among men, that’s how you get dictators “ Mon-El commented. Winn became red in the face as if he was embarrassed by Mon-El’s obvious supposition. He probably wanted to say more but weighed the risk of sounding like an overexcited fanboy he merely stared out the window. 

There was a silence after that between the two men. Mon-El wondered if he’d said something to offend Winn. Whilst, he’d been on this planet for the last fifteen years, humans were in a lot of ways an enigma to him. However, when he quickly gazed over at Winn there was a serene expression on his face and that seemed to satiate the daxamite. When his eyes fell back on the road, he saw the pooling of black smoke fill the horizon. They weren’t far from the impact site now. It reminded him of when his own pod had crashed on the outskirts of the Allens' home all those years ago. But considering this smoke could be seen from miles away Mon-El had the feeling what they were about to encounter was far bigger. 

Before long, they approached the location of the task force. Several white tents had been propped out and DEO agents in black tactical gear milled about. Just beyond the compound was what Mon-El presumed was the cause of the disturbance. A large black helix-like space station made up of two rings that intersected each other diagonally.

Winn seemed to be awestruck. “ Tell me that isn’t the coolest thing you’ve ever seen, “ he said excitedly, as he hopped out of the car and walked to the hood of it taking in the sight. Mon-El followed suit, cool certainly wasn’t the word he would have used. Just being in the shadow of this goliath of a space station, made him feel uneasy. His grey eyes settled on the blaze of gold and red coming in from his left that stopped just shy of the two men. 

“ Cisco, are you getting these readings? “ The Flash asked the other engineer who was presumably back at headquarters monitoring the situation. 

“ This is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, “ Cisco replied back there was a mixture of fear and admiration in his voice, “ there’s no way we can take the forcefield around this thing down from the outside, the ionization field points to the internal hub it’ll have to be disabled from there. Winn can do it he’s much well versed in alien technology than I am. Have you met him yet? “ The Flash shot Winn a smile, to which the engineer damn near melted. 

“ Just arrived with Agent Allen. “ Flash told Cisco. “ You should brief Henshaw while I catch these two up “ The Flash extended his hand out to Winn as the two got acquainted, Winn speaking a mile a minute already talking about helping to make improvements to the suit. Mon-El took a few steps away from the pair looking up at the structure, he’d seen it before...he just couldn’t remember where. 

“ Agent Allen? “ The Flash called, Mon-El turned with a benign expression on his face. 

“ Sorry, I was just taking a closer look. So what do we have here? “

“ Because of the forcefield, I don’t actually know. Tried phasing through it, but it just repelled me back. It’s all around this thing, except we found a small crack where we can fit through a small group that can escort Agent Schott through. Once the barrier is down we can send the rest of our people in to investigate. “ Flash said patting Winn on the back, who seemed overjoyed at the prospect.

“ That’ll be Flash and Agent Allen. Everyone else will be around the perimeter providing back up if need be. “ announced a deep booming voice. 

The DEO’s director Hank Henshaw had arrived. He was a tall, intimidating African American man who had a steely gaze that made you feel like he was reading your mind. However, was a fair and just man whom Mon-El respected to the highest degree. 

“Wait! You can’t just take down the whole thing. Who knows what’s in there? “ interjected a voice from behind Winn that made both the Flash and Mon-El scowl in unison. Agent Alex Danvers, their resident pathologist, stood there with folded arms looking at Director Henshaw with an expression of pure exasperation. Alex hated anything that wasn’t purely human, her rhetoric was shoot first and think later. Sometimes, Mon-El wondered why she had even decided to study alien science when she was so xenophobic herself. She was already decked out in her tactical gear, her cropped short brown hair whipped back, and identical pistols stowed in her holster. “ You let down that thing, we no longer have the situation contained. “

“ Would you rather we wait for whatever’s in there to gain control of the ship before we do? “ The Flash asked irritably, “ If we don’t at least find the control mechanism we might as well be sitting ducks “ 

“ You both have a point, “ Henshaw said calmly. “ We know nothing about this vessel, it might be wise to have the Justice League on standby. That way when we take the shield down we have a backup “ 

“ I’ve already sent the alert. Green Arrow, Blue Beetle, and Shazam are on call. Then we have Nightwing and Oracle close by. “ 

“ Superman and Batman are off world? “ Mon-El asked 

The Flash nodded, “ Them and Wonder Woman & Green Lantern. Top secret League Business. “ 

“ We’ve grown too reliant on these Supers, what’s the point if we can’t even function without them? “ Alex asked irritably. 

“ It’s not a competition, Agent Danvers. We’ll proceed as planned “ Henshaw said looking down at the tablet in his hand seemingly unconcerned by Alex’s temper tantrum. 

“ I want to go with, sir. I can provide logistic support “ Alex said folding her arms, her lips forming a thin line as she refused to concede defeat. 

“ Absolutely not, “ Mon-El said with the roll of his eyes, “ Sir, sending in Agent Danvers and her trigger-happy tendencies could incite an intergalactic conflict. “ 

“ How does he know there’s not a biological weapon in there? Or a parasite ready to latch onto to us? I’m the only one here with a medical degree and the training required to deal with such threats “ Alex argued 

“ The only way we’re taking her in with is is if she forfeits all lethal weapons, “ The Flash said obstinately. 

Henshaw was visibly annoyed at the squabbling. He took a moment of introspection before responding. “ Agent Danvers will accompany all three of you and help me decide the appropriate course of action about the shield once she assesses what the situation is in the interior. However, she will have to forfeit all of her non-lethal weapons as we already have enough teeth with Agent Allen and the Flash. “ there was a groan from the Flash, Mon-El, and Alex collectively while Winn merely shook his head. Henshaw raised his hand to signal that he was in no mood to entertain anymore debates “ No more arguments, I suggest you all prepare for what’s ahead it’s going to be a long night “ 

— 

A few moments later, Mon-El, Winn, Alex, and the Flash were standing at the perimeter of the forcefield gazing up at the structure. Thankful, to be out of his penguin suit Mon-El was now decked out in his DEO standard issue tactical suit. The Kevlar felt like a second skin whilst the plasma pistol in his hand and the assault rifle strapped to his back felt like security blankets. Due to his super strength & laser vision, Mon-El didn’t really need to carry weapons, but he tried not to use his abilities whenever possible. Blending in offered a better tactical advantage in his mind. He’d never been a fan of wearing a costume and flaunting his skill set. Not that he judged Barry or Clark or any of the others for it. The world did need heroes to look up to. But Mon-El had never seen himself as a hero, just someone who wanted to do the right thing. 

Henshaw approached the group with last minute instructions. “ Quick run down of the plan. Once you walk past the forcefield through the breach, “ he pointed to the small opening to the left of them. The forcefield was invisible, but Mon-El could hear a low hum resonating from it. The humans probably didn’t though so he made no mention of it. “ The Flash will do a quick sweep of the premises, hopefully through the optics, we have installed in the suit we can get a rough schematic of the structure. You then will go to the main hub and contact me for further instructions. Do we understand each other? “

“ Yes, sir, “ said the four of them in unison. Alex poised at the ready, approached the breach first she had a backpack strapped to her back and Mon-El wondered about its contents. He quickly used his X-ray vision to gaze inside. There was a set of walkie-talkies, a brown paper bag with an apple and a sandwich, and a set of playing cards. For all her seriousness, Agent Danvers seemed to be treating this mission like a camping trip. Once she went through, she became invisible to them. The Flash peered into the breach.

“ She’s okay, “ he told the rest of the crew, “ must be some kind of countermeasure in the shield to make any living life forms invisible to the naked eye. I see a few trees and stuff in here too. “

“ Should we proceed as planned? “ Mon-El asked Henshaw. The man was quiet for a moment before he nodded. 

Winn went in next, followed by Mon-El, and lastly the Flash. As planned, the Flash was ready to take off, the familiar streak of red and gold followed him. However, every time he tried to penetrate the prison through a different entry point he was deflected off it like a pinball and slammed against the edge of the forcefield. 

“ You okay? “ Mon-El asked rushing over to where the Flash had crashed. 

“ Yeah, I’m fine. My powers don’t seem to be working if I get too close to that thing, it’s like they cancel out the speed force energy in my cells. “

Alex pushed past Mon-El jogging towards the Flash, holding out a biomonitor to get a quick read of his vitals. The robotic voice read as an error and shut off spewing a few sparks in the process. Alex dropped it grumbling. “ Looks like our tech isn’t working either. “

While the others were congregated around the Flash, Winn was staring up at the sky thinking deeply. There was a metallic device at the top that pulsed out waves like a heartbeat. Anytime the Flash had gotten close it quickened as if it was feeling...fear. He had a theory. Pulling out his gun, he readied it at a random rock a few feet away from him and fired a shot. His theory was proven correct as he watched the waves pulse faster and radiate down to the breach they’d entered through, seconds later it had been sealed off. 

Now, they were trapped inside with no tech, no superpowered hero, and no way to send a signal to the outside.


	3. The Prisoner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team happens upon a prisoner while exploring the vessel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I'm late on this been away on vacay, but better late than never. I promise replies will come faster since I'm feeling super inspired, also we meet Kara in this chapter hope y'all like her! As always comments and kudos are appreciated. This fic is unbetaed so I apologize for the spelling errors

“ You idiot! “ Alex bellowed at Winn, as she stomped up to him positively livid. “ Not only have you trapped us inside, you’ve given away our position! “ 

Winn held up his hands in defeat, “ I’m sorry I was just testing a theory, I didn’t think it would seal up like that. “ he pointed up at the device that was pulsing out normally again. “ I’ve never seen anything like it, it’s...like a heartbeat, when you threaten it, it reacts like a living organism would “ Winn spurted out in a fast succession. 

Alex grabbed Winn by the collar hoisted him down to her height. “ I could kill you right now, how does your little science experiment even help us?! “ she cried indignantly. 

Winn probably thought Alex was going to beat him to a pulp, luckily for him, Mon-El intervened wrenching the two of them apart. “Enough! Agent Danvers control yourself “ he told her tersely.

“ I agree with Agent Allen, “ The Flash said bounding up behind Alex, “ Besides, pot meet kettle, Agent Danvers “ he added bitterly.

“ What’s that supposed to mean? “ Alex asked turning her rage towards the Flash who remained calm despite the fact that he was staring down at the red-faced brunette. 

“ He means that Winn’s not the only one that’s pulled the trigger without thinking during a mission “ it was Mon-El who answered staring at Alex with his deep grey eyes. Alex’s face fell, the rage was replaced by shame as she looked down at her hands. She closed her eyes took a deep breath before speaking again.

“ We need a new plan. “

“ Agreed, “ Mon-El said with a nod, his gaze landed on the Flash. “ Any ideas? “ 

“ I think we should split up, you take Winn and head through the front....that is if you feel alright? “ The Flash suggested, Mon-El could see the question had a double meaning from the way Barry stared at him from underneath his scarlet cowl.

Mon-El nodded using his X-ray vision to look into the station. Fortunately, his powers were unaffected, probably because they came via yellow sun radiation and not dark matter energy. Even with this ability though, Mon-El couldn’t see in too deep, the walls were lined with lead. As long as the hazardous metal didn’t penetrate his body he’d be alright. 

“ I feel fine, you’re right we’ll cover more ground if we split up. I assume you and Agent Danvers want to enter through the side entrance? “ The Flash nodded.

“ How will we stay in contact if trouble arises? “ Winn asked, “ I think the defense system is canceling out anything with a standard electrical current and dark matter energy too, it seems. “

“ I can help with that “ Alex spoke up, she reached into her backpack and produced the walkie-talkies. “ My father and I built these before he... “ she winced, the disappearance of Jeremiah Danvers had always been a touchy subject for her. “ Anyways, they work off solar energy, we even designed a special channel between them. They’re low tech and only transmit over small distances. Maybe they’ll work...“ she tossed one to Mon-El who caught it without blinking.

“ Check “ he spoke into it, his voice crackling through the other end to Alex.

“ Brilliant, “ Winn said appreciatively, the two groups were about to head off in different directions when Mon-El unstrapped his assault rifle and passed it to the Flash. “ We’re looking for the central hub it should have a map of the entire station as well, whoever gets there first radio in and we’ll tell you the closest landmark and you can guide us to where you are. “

“ And if there’s no map? “ Alex asked

“ Then we’ll meet back here and go in together. “ Mon-El answered for Winn, checking to see if his plasma pistol was operational by checking the calibration module. He noticed that the Flash was giving him a stern look. Mon-El could tell Barry was nervous, he was vulnerable now without his powers. They had no choice but to continue though if they had any hope of escaping. 

“ Take care of yourselves, Agent Allen, Winn “ The Flash finally said, taking a few steps towards the side entrance.

“ Same goes for you guys, we’re just a radio call away if things get difficult in there “ Mon-El offered as comfort. Alex and the Flash nodded before taking off towards the side entrance.

\--

Winn and Mon-El walked in through the main entrance, along a tunnel to a set of doors that were tall wide and narrow. Something that reminded Mon-El of the entryways to castles he’d seen in storybooks. Luckily for them, the doors were open. 

They came upon a darkened lobby area where all they could make out were a slew of metallic surfaces and a desk. Winn peered over at it.

“ Maybe we can try over there? Might be some more information of what this place exactly is. You read Kryptonian? “ Winn asked walking over to the desk, and rifling through the papers, he produced a small flashlight from his pack. “ I’ve never seen this dialect before. And I know all five. Wonder why they’d be using paper, I thought Kryptonians did everything electronically. “

“ Good idea and yeah I minored in alien languages while I was at Gotham University. Let me, see? “ Mon-El replied reaching for the bundle of papers in Winn’s hand, there was a sinking feeling in his stomach and he hoped the theory he had in his head would be proven wrong. Winn handed the bundle to Mon-El shining the flashlight at him so he could read. 

Within moments, Mon-El’s grey eyes grew wide with alarm. Kryptonians were an advanced race of people. Far more advanced than humanity was now, they only worked with paper when there was a real fear of digital infiltration, which happened rarely. There were three words that stuck out to Mon-El immediately.

Fort Rozz. Brainiac. 

“ Can you read it? “ Winn said studying the look on Mon-El’s face with a slight nervousness. 

“ No time to explain...we have to get out of here. It’s dangerous, “ he said in a rush.

“ Agent Allen with all due respect, it’s not like the outside is any better. We have no way out remember? “ Winn said scratching his head, “ Can you please tell me what you read? I’m not even sure how you read it. That dialect...it’s never been discovered I’m sure of it. “

Mon-El sighed, as he ignored Winn for a moment. Pressing the button to the walkie, he spoke into it.

“ Flash. Come in Flash. “ 

He was met with silence. Mon-El let out a groan, wanting to punch the desk but he had to control his anger. Winn was already asking a lot of questions. 

Almost on cue, the intrepid engineer spoke up. “ So are you ignoring me now or? “

Mon-El took a deep breath to calm himself. “ You’re right...the dialect is not recorded, my old professor found a Kryptonian cache with further linguistic data files a few months. This dialect was used the Sagitari, the Kryptonian guard. He hasn’t published it yet but he sent me the cipher since it’s a hobby of mine to learn these languages. “ It was an easy lie one that Winn seemed to buy, at least for now. Changing the subject, he showed Winn the paper his fingers grazing over the text, “ this states that the prison, Fort Rozz, is on high alert for the arrival of Brainiac. “ 

“ Wait, Brainiac as in Collector of Worlds, Destroyer of Krypton, Brainiac? “ Winn gulped

“ The very same, “ Mon-El said ominously. He’d only heard myths of the Coluan. The Kryptonians had conquered their race and Brainiac sought revenge. The decimation of Krypton should have satiated his appetite. But the Justice League had heard whisperings of the ancient evil lurking across the galaxies. They couldn’t assume he had perished in the destruction of the Kryptonian Union. He could have been here, skulking in the walls, looking for a host body. Worse still, they weren’t in any ordinary prison. Fort Rozz housed the worst of the worst criminals in the Kryptonian Union. He’d heard guards gossip about it as a child on the streets of Daxam. Of course, he couldn’t tell Winn that. For now, he remained silent.

“ It all makes sense now. “ Winn said slowly, a quizzical look appeared on Mon-El’s features. 

“The defense I tested outside. It mimicked the autonomic nervous system “ Winn explained, “ Brainiac basically would enter their server with a whole host of artificial viruses he’d code in real time. It’s what I would do except his would probably be more elegant- “

“ Winn the cliff notes version please “ Mon-El urged

The engineer looked slightly sheepish, “ right sorry, it’s got a real-time threat defense mimicking a flight or fight response in living beings. Even to threats of cyber warfare. The shield will adapt to any sort of external tampering. “

“ Right so even if our comms were working there’s nothing they could do to get us out “ Mon-El concluded, “ any ideas on disabling it? “

“ there’s probably no master switch but I bet there’s a decryption key. “ Winn reached past Mon-El to rifle some of the old and grimy papers. “ Thank god Kryptonians only use one numerical system, “ Winn said before he jotted something down using one of the pencils in his pocket. “ I copied down this persons user access code. I should be able to get in and hack my way to a higher clearance.”

“ Good thinking “ Mon-El complimented him with an easy grin, he grabbed a map from the grimy set of papers. “ hopefully we’ll have better reception from the central hub and be able to contact The Flash and Agent Danvers. “ 

“ And if we don’t? “

“ We’ll make it up as we go “ 

Winn gulped, Mon-El’s statement didn’t seem to inspire much confidence but it was the best he could do given the current circumstances. The two men soon exited the lobby area and began to advance through a darkened hallway lit by dimly illuminated tube lights. Mon-El used Winn’s flashlight to look over the map. Luckily, the central hub was only a short walk from the entrance they’d used. 

“ Agent Allen, if for some reason I don’t make it. Can you let Cisco know I’m leaving him my action figure collection? “

Mon-El quirked an eyebrow at the young engineer. “ First, you can call me Mike. And second, Winn you’re going to be okay. I know things may seem hopeless at the moment, but I’ve been in hairier situations and you just have to...keep going. “

Winn looked away, “ I know I’m being cowardly but...I never expected to be taking a job like this, not after what happened to my father. “

“ Being scared doesn’t make you cowardly. Especially, when you’re in a new and dangerous environment. I’m sorry about your father. But your parentage doesn’t define who you are. My parents were thieves and they cared more about scoring cash than they did about me. It wasn’t until I was eleven and came to live with the Allens that I understood what a real family was. “

“ Wish I’d been so lucky. After my dad was chucked into prison, my mom left. Was tossed between foster homes after that. Cisco is the only family I have really. “ Winn shrugged, normally he didn’t share his sob story. However, since it seemed that Agent Allen was part of the “shitty parents” club there was a mutual understanding. No looks of pity or automatic sympathy earned because one had a difficult childhood. 

“ Nothing wrong with that. “ Mon-El reaffirmed, “ But don’t start writing your will yet, we’ve got work to do. “

Winn nodded, there was no time for fear. Not if their hunch was correct and Brainiac was indeed lurking within the walls of the ship. They were the only defense between him and the rest of the planet. 

Finally, the two men came upon a metallic circular door, similar to the opening of the safe. Mon-El looked up to see the word jahghah was stretched across it in a big bold font. 

“ This is it, “ he told Winn, searching for a way in. He could distract the engineer momentarily and pry it open with his super strength. Winn was clever though, he’d already swallowed the lie about the cipher but this too? It would be entirely too fishy. 

“ Any ideas? “ Mon-El asked, hoping that Winn had an alternative. 

Winn walked forward, going to the control pad located next to the door. “ Can you get this open? If you hit it with your plasma rifle, it should get the latch here open “ he said holding a small lock. 

“ Move aside “ Mon-El instructed, aligning his aim he let a small burst of energy fire and the lock lay dismally near Winn’s feet. 

“ Nice shot, now give me just a second “ 

Mon-El watched as Winn deftly crossed all the wires neatly and with impressive speed and accuracy. If there was any doubt in his mind about Winn’s prowess in this field it was quickly decimated with how he rewired the circuits. Within moments the door to the central hub slid aside and Mon-El crawled through the grotto first. 

He found himself staring down the barrel of a gun aimed at him by a blonde haired woman. She had striking blue eyes and was wearing a pastel blue peasant dress. Mon-El noticed that on her wrists were metallic bracelets, from restraints that she had probably wrenched apart with little effort. On her chest was a familiar crest: the House of El. But, Mon-El knew he should exercise caution just because she was of Clark’s house. After all the lineage of the House of El was vast and could have included friends or foes. 

Mon-El aimed his gun back at her although he had no intention to shoot first.

“ rrov nahn rrip? “ she asked eyes falling to Winn who had entered through the door. 

“ khutiv threv michael allen, zhod nim winn schott. krep nahn- “

“ Amazing, she’s...she’s got an Argonite accent right? “ Winn said looking at Mon-El to the blonde stranger with wonder rather than fear, Mon-El quickly brushed Winn behind him.

“ Winn, I know you’re excited about your first alien encounter. But she’s got a gun aimed at us and you should probably get behind me “ 

Winn didn’t argue still looking at the woman with awe. She had a quizzical look on her face at Winn’s spirited outburst.

“ How does this one know about the Argonites? “ demanded the woman pointing her pistol at Winn now.

“ You speak English? “ Winn asked surprised.

“ Why of course. I am a member of the science and technologies clan specializing in alien languages and species. I know over 4000 tongues. Now answer my question or I shall show my prowess as a warrior as well “ she now floated the gun between the two men.

“ I learned about the Argonites and Argo City in my teachings of your planet...Krypton “ 

She lowered her gun slowly, as did Mon-El. 

“How do you know of Krypton?”

Mon-El shook his head, exchanging a look with Winn. 

“ There were others... some who wished to conquer us, others who wish to work alongside us. “ Mon-El answered calmly. “ Which one are you? “

The blonde rolled her eyes, holstering her weapon completely as she turned her back to them.

“ Are you not answering my question then? “ Mon-El asked at the woman’s strange reaction to his question. 

“ You are wasting my time, human. I have no patience for your idiotic questions. “

Mon-El snorted typical Kryptonian arrogance. She was clearly raised as the daughter of some hoity-toity government official who thought she was entitled to everything. 

“ You’re on our planet, princess. I’d say you should cooperate. “ Mon-El jibed at her snarkily

“ Tell me human, do you like this quaint little planet of yours? “ the woman asked with a slight tsk, “ if you do you’ll let me work. So I can find the collector “

“ You mean Brainiac “ Mon-El said, “ Was he a prisoner? “

“ Of course he was, he is the most dangerous threat in all the galaxies. The council felt Fort Rozz could be the only place to contain him “ the woman rubbed her temples, “ you there, and I’m assuming it's you and not the tall idiotic one. “ she pointed at Winn as Mon-El scowled, “ how did you get the door to this chamber open? “

Winn exchanged a look of distress with Mon-El as if asking the other if he should speak to the mysterious woman again. 

“ I rewired the circuits, ma'am. It wasn’t difficult. “ Winn said with a shrug before his eyes fell on the woman’s sigil and he got excited once more, “ are you a member of the House of El? “

The woman looked down at the crest, “ Impressive for a human. “ she nodded at Winn, apparently his question wasn’t as stupid as the ones Mon-El was asking “ I am Kara Zor-El daughter of Zor-El and Alura In-ze. First of my name and the keeper of books in the grand citadel. “

Winn and Mon-El both looked shocked, so she wasn’t just any low ranking member. She was…

“ Superman’s cousin! You’re his cousin. “ Winn repeated.

“ Cousin? “ Kara asked confusedly before comprehension dawned on her features. “ So my Uncle’s plan was a success? Baby Kal is here? “ she asked approaching the two men.

“ Yes, he’s a hero. “ Winn answered, “ Although not so much a baby anymore. He’s a man, happily married even has a kid. “

Kara looked solemn resting against the control panel. “ I must have been in the Phantom Zone for longer than I thought. I’ve missed so much. “

As annoying as she was, Mon-El felt for Kara at that moment. When Barry had found him in that pod all those years ago, he’d had the same crisis of fate over all the time he’d missed.

“ We can arrange for you to see him again “ Mon-El offered as an olive branch, hoping she’d be more cooperative if there was something in it for her. 

Kara looked at Mon-El, her icy blue-eyed gaze boring into him as if she was seeing into his soul. She then shook her head. “ Brainiac is my number one priority, I must avenge my father’s death. Krypton’s destruction. “ 

“ Considering what he does, he should be all our priorities, “ Winn said sitting down at where Kara was working, “ the enemy of my enemy is my friend right? Perhaps we can help each other. “

“ No offense, human. But I do not need the help of a species that most recently learned to walk upright. I can do this on my own “

“ And how’re you going to do that whilst you’re trapped in here? “ Mon-El asked folding his arms giving the woman a stern look. Was he this difficult when he first arrived on this planet? 

Winn quirked an eyebrow looking from Mon-El to Kara, “ how did you know she was trapped? “ 

“ Simple, with how antsy she is, She would have gotten out the first chance she got. And I’m assuming Brainiac’s already out there right? So that leaves the other prisoners. Where are they? “

Kara folded her arms, looking away huffily. 

“ They were evacuated “ 

It wasn’t Kara that answered this time, it was Alex. She was holding a gun that held an emanating green substance, a substance that made Kara’s skin burn and glow green. She sunk to the floor weak from the exposure, looking up at Alex with malice etched into her features. However, she did not speak. 

“ We found the ship’s manifest and recordings from the guards. Ms. Zor-El was a high priority prisoner along with Brainiac. While the rest of the prisoners were evacuated off, she remained in a cell adjacent to him. Isn’t that right? “ 

“ Agent Danvers you’re not supposed to have a gun, “ Mon-El said stepping in between Alex and Kara. “ those were Henshaw’s orders. “

“ Henshaw’s not here, Agent Allen. And we're dealing with an enemy combatant. Aren’t you wondering how the daughter of a high ranking government official ended up in a place like this? “

Mon-El had, of course, wondered that, but right now with Alex’s Kryptonite pistol trained on the other woman all he was concerned with was Kara’s safety. Based on first impressions, Kara was brash, stubborn and high strung. All the things he hated in Kryptonians, but that didn’t mean she deserved to have radioactive pieces of her homeworld flung in her face. She could have hurt Winn and him by now and hadn’t. The law wasn’t exactly always fair in the Kryptonian Union. 

Behind him, he saw Barry appear in his Flash suit. Still unable to use his abilities, he was out of breath probably having chased after Alex. Mon-El nodded to him to get behind Alex quietly. 

“ Should I tell him or do you want to? “ Alex asked the girl, glaring at her, Kara sneered before she spit at Alex. 

Then, there was a gunshot and the green substance spewed out towards Kara. The Flash grabbed Alex and knocked her down taking the gun from her. Meanwhile, Mon-El dove grabbing Kara and pushing her out from the crossfire. Winn managed to duck as the Kryptonite bullets hit the steel wall behind them. Immediately, alarms started blaring and a computer voice began to repeat.

“ Lockdown Mode. “

“ You idiots “ Kara professed, looking up at Mon-El from her position on the floor, “ You’ve done it now. “


	4. Quarantine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight for survival begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is long overdue, art school got the better of me and I had to take a long hiatus. but I'm back focusing on my writing and this fic is coming to me very easily so you can expect updates fairly quickly!

“ Get off me ! “ bellowed Alex freeing herself from the Flash’s grasp and sprang to her feet. Holding the gun at Kara again ready to fire, The Flash grabbed it once more.

“ Alex calm down ! “ he yelled, raising his voice a look of complete exasperation on his face. 

“ How can you be calm when you know that girl is a terrorist? She bombed the Kryptonian citadel, killing hundreds of people. If she can do that to her people who knows what she’ll do to us? “ Alex exclaimed.

“ They weren’t people anymore! “ Kara fired back, “ they were Brainiac’s husks. Lost to his virus, if I didn’t kill them and destroy the epicenter of our knowledge Argo would have ended up just like Kandor. Even still, every single death weighs heavy on me, human. I would have turned myself in after I took out Brainiac. And I plan to once I’m done. “ 

Mon-El couldn’t help but notice there were tears burgeoning in Kara’s eyes. She wasn’t the heartless criminal, that Alex wanted to believe she was, that was for sure. He was surprised when the blonde Kryptonian turned her gaze on him.

“ Look, I know you think I’m some insane criminal. But, I could have hurt you and your partner ages ago. “ echoing his thoughts as she pleaded with him, “ If you don’t get me out of here Brainiac has already won and besides I know the quickest way out of here “

“ She has a point with that, Agent Allen. She broke out of her restraints she knows how powerful she is on this planet. “ the Flash pointed out.

Mon-El looked around to see that they were all waiting on him to make a decision. He didn’t know how, but he’d somehow inherited the position of leader.

“ The way I see it we have no choice but to work together right now. Ms. Zor-El is not innocent but neither are you, Agent Danvers, you fired on her without any provocation. “

“ She spat at me! “ Alex cried indignantly. 

“ Would you rather stay in here then? “ Mon-El asked rubbing his temples, that made her quiet down although he could hear her muttering under her breath. His gaze instead turned to the Kryptonian.

“ So what’s the plan? “ 

Kara, in turn, looked at Winn. “ Can you rewire the circuits for the shield like you did the door? “

“ Yeah I can, but it’ll only give us a small window. “ Winn admitted already pulling open the podium Kara had been working on. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the Flash with a huge smile on his face as he vibrated his arm at super speed. “ I have my speed back! “

“ The lockdown mode must be draining from the dark matter damper to place power to another source. I’m guessing the shield. “ Winn surmised. 

“ Or Kelex “ Kara added, “ Their droids that replaced organics in the presence of Brainiac, to stand guard. “

“ Your people gave a powerful technopath access to an army of droids?! “ Mon-El asked indignantly.

“ Hubris,” Kara said bitterly, “ they felt they were unhackable. Besides, it was better than letting our people become Brainiac’s mindless minions. The fact that we haven’t been ambushed yet is good, he might have taken the Kelex forces with him when he escaped.”

“ Well, I’m not sticking around to find out. Flash take Agent Danvers here and escort her to wait at the perimeter”

Alex opened her mouth to protest but no words came out. Instead, she adopted a sour expression and huffed. 

“ What about you guys?” The Flash asked unsurely.

Mon-El gave him a knowing expression, to which the superhero nodded. Mon-El would have to expose himself to the others to get Winn and Kara out in time. The adoptive brothers had learned to communicate with just a few facial expressions. He grabbed a reluctant Alex by the shoulders and zipped away.

“ How long will it take for the lockdown procedure to be completed?” Mon-El asked Kara.

“ Approximately, fifteen minutes. And by my calculations we’ve only got eight.” Kara answered darkly, leaning over to see what Winn had been working on.

“ What happens in eight minutes?” Winn questioned, there was a noticeable tremor in his voice. 

“ We get locked out of the controls and all the entryways lock from the outside…then if there’s a squadron of kelex still around they’re dispatched to neutralize us. ” 

“ Winn, how long?” Mon-El now asked the engineer, who had a pocket screwdriver wedged in his mouth and didn’t answer Mon-El’s question. 

Mon-El was about to reiterate his question once again when the trio heard the gnawing of metal from the entryway. There stood one of the gleaming gold Kelex bots, eyes red like the emblazoned sun. Kara immediately leaped into action shooting the bot as it began to descend towards Winn. A beat passed before Mon-El joined her at her side. 

“ You’re pretty good with a gun, I thought you said you were a glorified librarian,” Mon-El said slightly surprised.

“ What’s a librarian ?” Kara asked her gaze still on Kelex, cold and steely as if near-death experiences like this didn’t faze her at all. “ Before I joined the sciences and technologies clan, I spent some time with the Sagitari, our military guild,” she explained. To drive home her point she hit the Kelex square between its eyes. However, by that point, the room was swarming with them. 

Mon-El raised his eyebrows. This woman was quite something. He didn’t really know what to make of her. A crackle of electricity from his back pocket caught his attention and he reached in hearing his foster brother’s voice on the other end. 

“ Winn did it, the shield is down. You gotta get out of there. “ 

“ I did it? “ Winn said surprised himself, “ I did it! “ he said more confidently throwing his hands up in exaltation.

“ Yes you did, “ Mon-El said relieved casting a smile at a gleeful Winn who had taken refuge behind a desk. It was then that a crazy idea had hit him. “ Ms. Zor-El please take Winn and get out of here. The man in the red suit, he’s one of your cousin’s comrades he can be trusted. I’m going to create a diversion. “ 

“ Agent Allen… “ piped up Winn, who was already against the idea it seemed. Kara, however, seemed to be on board. Without a note of defiance, she grabbed Winn by the arm and super sped him out of the stronghold towards the exit. The four Kelexs that had swarmed around them seemed to register what had happened and were about to chase after the blur when Mon-El attracted their attention. 

“ Hey, you overgrown tin cans! Catch me if you can. “

\--

Within seconds, Kara and Winn were at the perimeter. Winn exited first to find that a worried Flash and an angry Agent Danvers were crowding near the breach. 

“ Cuff her,” Agent Danvers bellowed to a few DEO agents who aimed their Kryptonite weapons at Kara. Weakened by the substance, Kara sunk to her knees letting out a small moan of pain. Winn immediately stepped in front of the Kryptonian. 

“ No,” Winn said defiantly wincing slightly from the sharp pain in his shoulder. A result of the Kryptonian’s firm grip. Although, it could have been a lot worse. 

“ She saved my life.” he caught Director Henshaw’s eye who had stepped out of the nearby tents to join the group moments before.

“ She’s a terrorist, sir !“ Alex cried at Henshaw. “ She’s killed hundreds of people. How do we know-”

“ Weapons away, “ Henshaw ordered ignoring Alex, he walked past Winn and offered Kara a hand. Kara looked up at Henshaw unsurely but accepted it rising to her feet. 

“ The other human...one of your people is back there. He created a diversion so his partner and I could escape. “ Kara said quietly.

“ Mi-Agent Allen is back there?” The Flash was ready to dash back in there when Caitlin threw herself in his path. 

“He wouldn’t want you to go after him.” 

The Flash recoiled, looking strangely human for a moment. His shoulders slumped as he collapsed on one of the nearby crates. 

“We need to close the breach, who knows what else is in there? “ Alex pushed, throwing a scathing look in Kara’s direction. 

“ Not yet, “ said The Flash, Winn, Caitlin, and Cisco in unison.

“Ten more minutes, Director Henshaw.“ begged The Flash. Henshaw granted The Flash’s wish with a nod. His attention fell on Kara. 

“ While we wait for Agent Allen’s return, Ms. Zor-El, perhaps you’d like to have a private word with me.”

It was a suggestion. But it seemed evident to Kara that it was a command in disguise. Only a few minutes had passed since she’d met Henshaw and already he had to be one of the most imposing people Kara had ever met. She followed him into a nearby tent. Inside, was a group of computer panels and a makeshift desk made up of black weapons crates. Henshaw gestured at a rickety plastic chair and Kara took it putting her hands in her lap.

“You must let me start tracking Brainiac. He’s probably planning to collect this planet as part of his perverse collection.” Kara began. Henshaw remained silent, his gaze penetrating into her as if he could read her mind. 

“I cannot let an alien refugee roam around the planet unsupervised. One of your people; Zod once tried to conquer us. Sentiments towards your kind haven’t been the best ever since.”

“Then, place me in the custody of my cousin. Kal-El.” Kara reasoned. “Please. Tracking down Brainiac is my life’s purpose. He destroyed my family. My world. Surely you must have felt that sort of pain once in your human life?”

“More than you can ever imagine, Ms. Zor-El.” Henshaw sat down across from Kara and put his elbows on the desk. “One of my enemies murdered my wife and children in cold blood. I vowed to get revenge. It wasn’t until I let it go was I able to truly move on with my life.”

“I am a criminal.” Kara clenched her hand into a fist. “I have no life, after Brainiac, I will spend the rest of my life in some kind of prison. Your Agent Danvers explained what I did, didn’t she?”

Henshaw nodded. “You killed several people, Ms. Zor-El. I can tell you live with that guilt every day. However, it cannot be ignored that whilst you took lives you also saved a great deal many.”

“Some good it did, Krypton is destroyed. My cousin and I...we may be the last of our kind.”

Henshaw’s features softened, as he reached across and took Kara’s hand. “ I’m afraid what happens to you, is not up to me. Rather, it is up to my superiors. But I promise you this. I will make sure you are reunited with your cousin and you are able to make your case to my superiors. Until then, you will have amnesty. However, you will need to remain under supervision in our facility. Any misdemeanor or infraction could have you back in a cell. Is that understood?”

Kara nodded. “I thought you’d have me bound and in a quarantined cell.”

“You saved one of our own, Ms. Zor-El. Loyalty goes a long way in my books.”

“Call me, Kara. Just Kara.”

Henshaw finally smiled, “Kara it is”

Kara was about to ask where Kal-El was when a figure appeared in the entryway huffing. Henshaw rose, his features contorted in worry.

“Sir, it’s The Flash. He’s collapsed.”

\--

Mon-El had managed to slip past the Kelexs. Once Kara and Winn were away he led them on a merry chase using his super speed. After they were scrambled and separated, he darted towards the breach making his exit in the nick of time. Winn and Cisco promptly closed the breach and Mon-El was enveloped into a crushing hug by The Flash and Caitlin. 

That moment of bliss was quickly overtaken by a moment of pure dread.

In the midst of that hug, The Flash had sunk down to his feet and began vomiting a black tar-like substance. Caitlin had tried running to his side, however, Mon-El held her back. They didn't know if he was contagious. Mon-El and Caitlin could only watch helplessly as Agent Danvers followed protocol and The Flash was sped away on a gurney to the nearby medical tent. Within moments, most people at the DEO base would know the Flash’s true identity. Although that seemed like it was the least of their worries. Cisco and Winn were running interference on Caitlin making sure she didn’t barge into the medical tent whilst Agent Danvers was trying to assess the situation. Mon-El sat by the entrance on silent guard with his head slunk down. 

They were only celebrating Barry’s engagement a few hours ago, yet it felt like a distant memory from another life now. 

Mon-El heard fast footsteps approaching the tent. He was ready to stop Caitlin if she tried getting past him once again. However, he was surprised to find Henshaw and the Kryptonian walking briskly towards him. 

Mon-El rose to his feet. A look of confusion on his face as he looked at Henshaw.

“Kara and I have an understanding,” he explained. “In fact, she thinks she can help your brother.”

Mon-El was curious about the details of this “understanding” considering Kara was very much a radical alien combatant. At the moment though, all that mattered was Barry.

“How?” he asked as the Kryptonian stepped forward, using the clasps of her dress and fashioning it into a hair tie. 

“It’s the sickness. Brainiac always targeted the strongest of a given race. He must have known humans would be too curious and send their people on board the prison. Lucky for you, I know how to slow it down.”

“No cure?” Mon-El asked dreading the answer. 

“No, I would need a sample of the original virus to fashion a cure,” Kara stated matter-of-factly. “Right now, I need you to move aside.”

Mon-El hesitated for a moment before he stepped to the side. Kara had already scurried past him inside in just the blink of an eye. Agent Danvers looked aghast. Both by the appearance of the Kryptonian and Barry’s current state. Henshaw had directed her to leave and she wasn’t gutsy enough to refuse him. Surprisingly, Kara protested.

“ I need a set of gentle hands. I am not used to my strength on this planet. I bruised Mr. Schott’s shoulder just escorting him out.” her blue-eyed gaze fell on Agent Danvers. “ You’re going to have to trust me.”

“Trust you?!” Agent Danvers asked her voice imbued with mirth. “Forget it, I will not have The Flash’s blood on my hands.”

Mon-El was getting irritated by Danvers’s constant paranoia. He held his gun at Alex. 

“ You’d rather have your own blood on your hands then? “ he asked. 

“ Enough! Agent Allen put down your weapon and clear the room. The same goes for any nonessential personnel. Alex, you are to listen to Kara and follow her instructions. She wishes us no harm and she’s the closest thing we have to an expert on Brainiac.”

Mon-El did as Henshaw instructed, although begrudgingly. Right as he was about to exit, he heard his name from behind him. “ Agent Allen, your brother is in competent hands, I promise.” 

Mon-El was sure that this was the first time a Kryptonian had made a Daxamite a promise that they intended on keeping. 

—

Caitlin had arrived on the scene as soon as she’d squared away everyone at the engagement party. Being a doctor who specialized in alien physiology afforded her certain benefits in an organization like the DEO. When she’d arrived at headquarters, Cisco had wanted to come along so the two loaded into one of the black DEO vans arriving at the crash site twenty minutes later. 

It was then that she learned that her fiancé and one of her best friends was trapped inside some kind of alien enclosure. Cisco and Caitlin had immediately sprung into action. 

Their efforts had been futile. 

Luckily both Barry, Mon-El, and the others had pulled through. The relief she felt was temporary, however. Currently, her fiancé was in the medical tent fighting for his life. Winn and Cisco were sitting on either side of her in silence. Something she knew was a rarity. Caitlin let out a groan of frustration getting to her feet. Cisco grabbed her wrist gently.

“ You know the family’s not allowed in there. Agent Danvers is doing everything she can. Besides, there’s a chance you could get sick too. ” Cisco stated quietly. 

“ I’m going to go talk to Mike. Maybe he has some updates.”

“ I’ll come with you,” piped up Winn. “ I haven’t had a chance to thank him yet. “

Caitlin knew that the pair didn’t trust her on her own. She’d been hysterical when Barry had initially collapsed. Especially when she found out she wouldn’t be allowed near him. 

“ Fine,” Caitlin conceded as Cisco and Winn exchanged a look. She rolled her eyes. 

“ I’m not made of porcelain, I just want to know what’s going on with my fiancé.” 

“ We know Caitlin,” Winn assured her a look of concern wavering over his features, “ we just don’t know what this thing is yet, Barry wouldn’t want you to get infected.”

It was the most obvious thing in the world and Caitlin as a doctor knew this well. But still, it annoyed her to no end. She flounced away knowing that Winn following her as if he was her shadow but he dared not speak.

The pair arrived at the periphery of the medical tent. Mon-El was standing on the edge looking up at the stars as if they could provide answers. His attention turned to Caitlin as she stampeded over. 

“ I can’t let you in there,” he said adamantly before she could even speak. 

“ Did I ask to be let in? “ Caitlin said annoyed, a huff leaving her lips as she folded her arms. “ I just want to know if there’s been progress.”

“ There has,” 

It wasn’t Mon-El that gave her the answer, it was a tall blonde woman with striking blue eyes that was standing in the doorway. She was looking up at Mon-El a look of sympathy on her features.

“ Your brother will live for now, and we’ve managed to contain the infection. But I’m afraid he’s in a coma,”

“ What?” Caitlin cried pushing past the woman into the tent. A look of horror overtook her as she looked around the darkened tent. Barry was hooked up to a cornucopia of machines, helpless. Agent Danvers hovered over him making notes on a clipboard. Despite the other woman’s hardened demeanor, when she saw Caitlin a look of pity appeared on her face. She didn’t know when it happened but Caitlin had sunk to her knees and was standing by his gurney.

Hours ago, they were celebrating their engagement and now...she didn’t know what was going to happen to him. Her stomach clenched until she finally succumbed to sobs.


	5. Alien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old prejudices rear their ugly head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You probably weren't expecting an update so soon. But what can I say? I have a lot of muse. Hopefully, you guys don't dislike Kara too much by the end of this chapter. She's still getting accustomed to Earth and learning to let go of her prejudice. Comments and kudos are always appreciated.

To some Kara’s bunker at the DEO may have seemed small and claustrophobic but to the Kryptonian, it was a palace. She’d been confined to a cell for eons it seemed and while she was still a prisoner at the DEO she was treated with dignity. True to his word Henshaw had arranged for Kara to appeal her case to his higher-ups. They were concerned about Kara’s rather radical displays of dissent against Brainiac’s regime, but after seeing what that creature did to one of their own they reluctantly gave her refuge.

Not that Kara was allowed outside the DEO unsupervised. 

She’d been itching to get out there and start investigating. But since Kal-El was still off planet letting Kara “loose” was out of the question. She’d only seen pictures of her baby cousin, since her arrival. He wore traditional Kryptonian garb with their family sigil emblazoned on the front. And the tales she heard of him were both awe-inspiring & unfathomable. She couldn’t believe that Baby Kal had lived an entire lifetime without her. She’d wanted to meet his mate. But even this Lois Lane was busy on assignment.

The sense of loneliness was deep. Even though she was out of her cell, she was still alone. 

There was a knock at her door and she looked up to see Agent Allen standing there. He looked tired; his dark brown hair was a pell-mell mess and there were bags under his grey eyes. She suspected that he remained vigilant at his brother’s bedside it’s what she would have done if she were in his shoes. It’s what she had done when her mother had been touched by the plague.

“ Miss Zor-El, Director Henshaw would like to see us as soon as possible,” he said in a low voice. 

“ You can call me Kara,” she corrected him quickly. Kara hated “Ms. Zor-El” almost as much as she hated being addressed as “Keeper Zor-El” back on Krypton.

“Only if you call me Mike,” he said with a nod. Kara smiled in agreement although she had to admit she didn’t think the name suited him at all. It seemed too plain for someone who exudes such a bold sense of confidence. Back in the ship, he’d never had to state he was leading the team. All of them, including a disgruntled Agent Danvers, had followed his lead.

The two of them walked through the glass-paneled hallways at the DEO towards Henshaw’s office. Comfortable silence was shared until Kara decided to break it.

“ How is your brother’s mate doing?” Kara asked timidly. She’d felt utter helplessness seeing the other woman being consumed by despair when she saw her betrothed in a coma. 

“ Caitlin is inconsolable. She’s taken a leave of absence from her work just to sit by his bedside,” Mike replied rubbing his temples. Kara placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“ As soon as we find Brainiac’s lair I can get a sample of the genesis virus and start working on a cure. Your brother will be well again,”

Mike looked down at her hand almost in awe. She quickly removed it. 

“ Sorry, did I hurt you?” asked Kara. She was still coming to grips with how strong she was on this planet because of the yellow sun. 

He shook his head, “ No it’s...nothing. Thank you though for saying that. Unfortunately, we haven’t made any headway with his lair even with the Justice League looking.”

“ This Justice League. Are these Kal-El’s comrades ?”

Mike nodded, “ they are great warriors on Earth, sworn to protect it,”

“My father and uncle would have preferred it if young Kal-El would have entered into an academic profession rather than that of a soldier. But I am proud of my cousin. Earth needs great warriors just like Krypton does...did.” Kara found herself having to remind herself often that her planet was no more. She quickly changed the subject. “ Are you a warrior too?”

Mike chuckled, “ of sorts, my work is less...flashy. I leave the costumes and displays of might to the superheroes.” 

“ What are superheroes?” Kara asked quizzically.

Mike stilled, “ Winn and Cisco could probably give you a more detailed explanation. But it’s people who rise up to make a difference. Some of them have extraordinary gifts while others have superior intellect. You know you could be one too if you wanted.”

“ No, I prefer work that is less...flashy,” Kara hoped she used the work correctly. Judging by the look of amusement on Mike’s face she had.

Before long they were in Henshaw’s office. The esteemed director stood in front of a set of large glass paneled windows looking down at the flurry of activity below. All the agents at the DEO were working on the “Brainiac” case, especially now that the Flash’s life hung in the balance. When the pair entered, Henshaw clicked a button that drew slate grey blinds over the windows. 

“ Kara, Agent Allen I have brought you both here to entrust you with an important mission. One that I’m afraid a few select people know about in our department.”

Kara and Mike exchanged a look. Henshaw turned to them once the blinds were closed and the bolt to the door clicked shut. He pointed to one of the security cameras in the corner giving it a curt nod before his attention fell back on the pair.

“ But it’s important that we are fully transparent with one another,”

Kara’s eyes went wide. A metamorphosis occurred in front of her. Henshaw’s dark skin turned a pale emerald green whilst his human features warped to become more reptilian-looking. He grew two feet taller and instead of wearing a black dress shirt he wore red and chrome armor with a billowing red cape. 

“ Martian Manhunter,” breathed Mike awestruck, “so this is where you’ve been undercover for the past few years.”

The Martian nodded. “You may call me J’onn. And yes, Superman gave me this new face when he defeated Cyborg Superman, the real Hank Henshaw. He felt it was important to keep a trusted ally within the ranks of the DEO. It also gave me a chance to have a family again with my wife M’gann.”

Kara’s face fell. “I don’t like all this deception, why not live as a Martian? I don’t understand why Kal-El and you hide behind these masks,”

“Because people are still mistrustful of alien refugees. They do so to protect their loved ones.” It was Mike that replied this time. Although his voice was meek and quiet.

“Agent Allen, in order for us to work together we all have to be honest with one another.” 

Mike was hesitant, Kara could see that his hands were gripped into fists. J’onn sighed.

“Would you prefer Mon-El?”

Kara turned to the agent astonished. It was all making sense now, this was how he’d managed to escape the ship unscathed and why he’d show empathy towards her. 

“You’re Kryptonian too?”

Mon-El shook his head slowly. “Daxamite,”

Kara’s heart sank. Eyes that were brimming with hope turned towards irritation. The Daxamites were a group of vandals, thieves, and pirates. A lower race. How could she trust a Daxamite? Well, she didn’t. The blonde folded her arms a stern look on her face as her attention turned back to J’onn. 

“What is this mission?”

“Besides the alien civilian population, Mon-El, yourself, and I are the only ones immune to Brainiac’s virus. Since according to our intel, he only develops his plague for creatures on the planet he’s on.”

Kara nodded, “ this is correct, he targets the strongest of the apex species first poisoning their minds and turning them into living husks.”

“I believe the people most at risk,” J’onn’s attention turned to Mon-El, “are people like your adoptive brother Barry, metahumans.”

Mon-El shifted his feet, “ the few that we’ve captured since the particle accelerator accident are at iron heights.”

“Detective Dick Grayson is working on getting them transferred to the DEO’s stronghold. My concern is for others out there that might fall prey to the virus. I can’t have my agents exposed so, therefore, you two will be investigating each of these leads and tracking down any clues that might lead you to the lair. Dr. Snow and Agent Ramon will provide you with tech assistance here.” 

“I work alone,” both Kara and Mon-El said at once. 

J’onn looked at both of them pointedly. “ I realize there is some animosity between Kryptonians and Daxamites but both of you need each other. Mon-El is an expert on how to track and contain metahumans and Kara here is an expert on Brainiac.”

“There’s no animosity on my part, sir. Kal-El has been a friend and mentor for years. I just worry about Mrs. Zor-El’s rather radical tactics.” Mon-El replied stonily. 

“All the more reason for you to accompany her,” J’onn replied loftily.

“Excuse me,” Kara interrupted, “ I don’t need a Daxamite babysitter. I am a daughter of the house of El. Noble blood flows through my veins. I will not be treated like a petulant child.”

Yet like a petulant child, Kara stomped out of the office leaving J’onn and Mon-El in her wake.

-

Kara retreated to the DEO’s only balcony for refuge. Since her blow up at J’onn and Mon-El, she’d felt anger grip her tightly like an inferno. Luckily, there weren’t orders issued to drag her back to her quarters and they were both leaving her alone. She gazed up at the starry sky thinking about Krypton. The Krypton that was before Brainiac invaded when she was a young girl. He had destroyed her planet piece by piece. And now all that existed of Kandor was in that glass bubble he kept in his twisted collection. A ghost city full of his maintenance creatures no longer teeming with life. 

Kara turned quickly, seeing The Flash’s mate Caitlin standing in the doorway. “ If you are here to convince me of something it will fall on deaf ears,” Kara said softly feeling a pang of guilt when she noticed how haggard the redhead looked. Caitlin joined Kara on the balcony leaning her elbow on the stone handrail.

“Actually, I came to thank you. Barry might be in a coma but because of you he’s still Barry.”

“I was only carrying out my duty.”  
Kara replied. Caitlin gave her a half-smile. 

“You sound a lot like Mon-El.”

Kara gripped the handrail tightly watching as stone flaked off because of her might. 

“I know Mon-El told me how Kryptonians dislike Daxamites. But if you get to know him...he might surprise you.”

“Most Daxamites are thieves. Or plunderers.” Kara interjected. Caitlin sighed running a hand through her hair. 

“I could say most Kryptonians are radicalists judging by you and Zod,”

“How dare you!” Kara said, “ I have nothing in common with that madman. He sold our people out to Brainiac for glory…”

“Do you see my point, Kara?” Caitlin asked, “ you can’t just judge one individual from a given place based on others. On this planet, we call that xenophobia.”

Kara huffed. “ Krypton was superior to all other planets in our union. I do not understand why I should be babysat by a man from a lower planet.”

Caitlin rolled her eyes, “ well if Krypton was so great, why was Brainiac able to conquer it?”

Kara was silent. She folded her arms and looked in the other direction. Caitlin’s features softened. “C’ mon I want to show you something.”

Kara contemplated following Caitlin back into the DEO. But eventually, her curiosity got the better of her. She followed the woman back through the winding glass paneled hallways at the DEO. Finally, they stopped at the infirmary where Caitlin’s mate Barry was housed. Mon-El was there along with a tall man with wizened features that resembled Barry. There were tears streaming from Mon-El’s eyes as he stood up and hugged the man tightly. 

“That man Mon-El’s hugging is Barry’s father Henry,” Caitlin answered for Kara, knowing she was probably confused. “He’s also the man that raised Mon-El since he was only a young teen.” 

Kara watched as the man soothed Mon-El telling him it was not his fault this had happened to his brother. Kara could hear everything in crisp detail because of her super-hearing.

“Forget lower or upper for a moment, can you not empathize with Mon-El...with our family…” Caitlin’s voice sounded desperate now. “ The truth is Kara could, she’d felt the same desperation when one by one like dominoes people around her were overtaken by the plague. 

Kara nodded, “ I can,” she said in a ghostly whisper, “let the others know I agree to their terms. We start tomorrow,”

—

Mon-El did not want to return to his empty apartment. Not when Barry was here, still helpless. Despite Henry and Caitlin’s assurances, Mon-El still felt guilty. At least, Caitlin had spoken to Kara and somehow gotten her on board with J’onn’s plan. Although working with her would be another matter entirely. Mon-El had forgotten how much Kryptonians looked down on his people. Clark was raised on Earth, free of prejudice. But Kara was proudly Kryptonian to her core. He wondered how often they’d butt heads and whether they’d even accomplish anything meaningful together. His anxieties had kept him at the DEO well past other agents. He found an empty bunker room where he rested his tired eyes for a while. Unluckily, sleep did not last. By 3 am, he was wide awake again. Feeling a sense of claustrophobia in the cramped bunker, Mon-El decided to venture around the DEO. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep.

When he approached the infirmary, he saw a familiar blonde sitting by Barry’s bedside poring over his chart with wide curious blue eyes.

“What’re you doing up so late?” Mon-El asked as Kara looked up at him surprised.

“I couldn’t sleep. I know I am not to leave my quarters unsupervised, will you be alerting security?” she replied, her expression unreadable. Mon-El shook his head.

“You’re not doing anything to hurt anyone. What’re you doing exactly?”

“Monitoring your brother’s progress. He’s doing well given the circumstances. His body is fighting the infection,”

“That’s a good thing?”

Kara nodded, “it’ll buy us more time,” she put the chart down walking over to the monitors. Mon-El walked closer sitting down at Barry’s bedside although his attention was still on Kara. 

“I’m sorry,” he finally said, “for calling you a radical, earlier. It wasn’t fair. You were dealing with an impossible situation.”

Kara froze, her blue eyes locking onto his grey ones. “I’m not sure why you’re apologizing. I was the one that behaved like a...like a xenophobia.”

Mon-El laughed, so this was how Caitlin had convinced her. “Xenophobe,” Mon-El corrected, “and it’s alright, I behaved the same way when I arrived on Earth. I thought it was so primitive. But in a lot of ways, Earthlings are a lot more advanced than my people.”

“How so?” Kara asked. 

Mon-El thought for a second his gaze falling on his unconscious brother. “ Barry and Henry took me in when I had nothing. My planet was gone and even before that my parents weren’t really the best examples growing up. I was used to taking care of myself. But the Allens, they...taught me what it was like to be a good man, an honorable man. And I thought I was living up to that promise-”

“You are,” Kara said quietly.

“I thought you thought I was just some lowly Daxamite,”

Kara let out an awkward cough clearly wrestling within herself. This wasn’t easy for her, having her strongly held Kryptonian notions challenged.

“What I think of your people is irrelevant. You behaved honorably in the ship. Agent Schott wouldn’t have made it out without you.” she affirmed. “ My behavior towards you was exactly how Agent Danvers behaved towards me...and that was not a good feeling.” she walked to where Mon-El was sitting. “I want to set aside our differences and work to find Brainiac so we can end this once and for all.”

Mon-El nodded standing up and extending his hand. Kara’s gaze flitted downwards in confusion.

“Thank you for saying that, Kara.” he smiled at her, “on Earth, this gesture means that you have my trust and assurance that we can work together as equals and partners. There will be no need for me to babysit you.”

Kara smiled back, extending her hand out too. “I am happy to oblige. We’ll get your brother back.”


End file.
